Easy Lentil Soup with Andouille Sausage and Smoked Paprika

By Heidi Allison
This hearty lentil soup gets its smoky flavor from both the Cajun-style smoked Andouille sausage and the butter-infused smoked paprika topping drizzled over the soup just before serving. While the origin of this smoky, coarse-ground pork sausage is French, Cajun and Creole, cooks have changed up its traditional Gallic flavor profile by omitting the wine, and subbing in specialty spices, peppers, onions and garlic, in addition to smoking the sausage twice to enhance its flavor. This soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to fully develop, and it freezes exceptionally well for easy weeknight, “leftover” meals.

Andouille is a spicy, pre-cooked, heavily smoked pork sausage that is easy to find in the South and most markets. However, you can sub-in Polish kielbasa or Spanish smoked pork chorizo if you can't source it in your area. While the smoky note will not be as pronounced, you can add a bit more smoked paprika to the melted butter topping to round up the smoky taste. If you want to make this a meatless meal, try Melissa’s Soyrizo, or omit the sausage altogether and double the amount of smoked paprika to the butter topping—it pairs well with cornbread and a light green salad.

Lentil Soup with Andouille Sausage and Smoked Paprika
Serves: 4
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 stalk celery, ¼-inch slice
1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon kosher flake salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups filtered water
1 cup Steamed-pre-packaged Lentils
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 andouille sausage, reheated till warm; cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

Preparation
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add onion, celery and garlic, and sauté about 4 minutes till soft and golden brown. Add tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Stir and heat for 1 minute.
Add water, lentils and carrot and bring up to a simmer for 40 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Remove half of the soup to a large bowl or pot, and use an immersion blender, or blender, and purée till smooth. Add purée back to the pot and stir.
Add sausage and any collected juices into lentil soup, and stir.
Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat till melted, add smoked paprika and stir till butter is colored red, then remove and set aside. Reheat soup till warm, and add lemon juice and parsley. Stir, then ladle into serving bowls. Top with a drizzle of smoked paprika butter, then serve.